Womanthismonth.com November 2024 75 briefly served as editor-in-chief of LocalBH. Upon returning to Dubai, I landed a gig as a presenter, speaking in English, Tagalog and some Arabic. In 2022, I placed as 2nd runnerup at Miss Universe Bahrain, and now, I am honoured to be Miss Universe Bahrain 2024. Would you say your experience as a presenter and content creator has helped you in the pageant thus far? Absolutely. Pageants nowadays require you to campaign for yourself and your country both offline and online. My background in content creation and my interest in creative outlets like photography and visuals helped me bring to life what I had always envisioned. Another requirement is to be able to use your voice as a brand ambassador for your country, your people and the philanthropies that matter most to you. In that regard, being a presenter meant I was already comfortable in front of the camera and only needed to work on being concise and truly knowing who I am and how I want to express that. How do you feel the representation of Bahraini culture can be enhanced at the Miss Universe pageant? I think the inclusion of Bahrain in the pageant for the fourth consecutive year, and hopefully more, is already generating gradual interest and awareness about the Kingdom. Pageantry is a huge platform, with 10 million viewers tuning into the competition annually. That’s 10 million pairs of eyes and ears on our country, and it is up to each delegate to represent Bahrain in the best way they see fit. Slow steps are still steps in the right direction. How do you hope to further change the perception of women in the Middle East through the pageant? By simply existing. It is not up to us to change the world’s perception of us; it is a collaboration of spaces opening their doors to Arab women and Arab women choosing to take up space in their respective platforms of choice. Middle Eastern women come from diverse backgrounds, religions and values, and our common denominator is that we accept, tolerate and respect one another – regardless of these differences. Miss Universe takes place in Mexico this month. How are you preparing for the upcoming pageant, and how would you describe your emotions at this point? My emotions have been varying since the coronation. Sometimes I’m elated, other times nervous, but mostly I am focused on one task at a time. As a candidate with limited time to prepare, there is a lot to do in a short amount of time – pasarela training, more Q&A practice, advocacy work, creating social media content leading up to the pageant, and building awareness through media. Apart from that, I’ve also been practicing my makeup application, hairstyling, creating mood boards for my outfits, and familiarising myself with the beautiful country of Mexico. Can you share some causes that you are particularly passionate about? How do you plan to use your platform to promote them? My primary causes are Hope Amel UAE and Hope Amal Bahrain, as well as any other community or social cause that pertains to the wellbeing of our fellow Arab brothers and sisters. I am there to either lend a helping hand or to use my voice. What would be your advice for young women as someone who will be representing the country on a global scale? Do not ever allow society to dictate who you are and what you can and cannot do. Every waking moment of this life is precious, so live as true to yourself as you can. You won’t regret it. What’s something about you that always seems to surprise people? It’s probably that I can speak Tagalog fluently. Many won’t assume that I am half Filipina at first glance, so it gets quite a reaction whenever I do. Finally, what are your aspirations beyond the Miss Universe pageant? Short-term, I want to start a digital show that highlights mental health and tools to help people navigate it or anything within the wellness industry. Mentoring future Miss Universe Bahrain or Middle Eastern candidates is another goal, as I hope for greater and better representation for our Kingdom. Lastly, I would love to host a web series in English, exploring the rich history and culture of Bahrain in documentary format, all the way up to its modern-day successes. Long-term, I plan to write a book, starting with a collection of poetry I’ve written from my youth until my 30s. In the future, I aim to write either a novel or an autobiography. My biggest dream as a little girl was to be a writer, and although I achieved that professionally, I have yet to publish an actual book under my byline. Additionally, it would be a dream come true to study Archaeology or Egyptology and uncover treasures from the past. PEOPLE | interview Scan to watch the video
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